The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-02-20
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swarm OF women, with whom ne cnatted good
humoredly few minutes. A tall. effusive
woman in sealskins was introduced to him. and
as they shook hands she said. loudly. and with
very gushing smile: 81 am 80 glad to meet
YOU Beecher turned rather abruptly and
started for another part of the room, though
anxious to avoid hearing any more about the
adulAnt husband. His head was pushed forward
and his shoulders stopped like man in a hurry
and his face was oddly amusing to an observer
His lower lip dropped as though he were about
to speak. but no sound came out of his mouth.
The whole expression of his face seemed to be
an arrested grunt Of chestnut" Five minutes
later, the long white locks of the preacher could
be seen in the center of group of nodding bon
nets at one of the lunch tables in the gallery.
Nv
Do you suppose that Fifthavenue girls are al
ways as staid as sticks7 No, no! A little old
man, as ugly specimen of the human race as
ever assisted in disfguring the earth, was going
down that thoroughfare bending nearly double
under the weight of big basket of pigs heads
which he carried on one shoulder The rain was
pouring and the sidewalks were wet He
slipped, and in his effort to keep his footing one
of the heads fell to the pavement He stood
looking at it in woeful predicament and. al
though he knew he could not stoop over far
enough to reach it without losing his balance, he
made several Intellectual attempts. The street
was full of burrying people who lostled him on
both sides, but nobody paid any attepuon to
him, except that occasionally some one looked
with amused smile at his dilemma Present
~ along came two pretty young girls, neatly
dressed in black cloth Newmarkets, with black
boas and muffs and regulation tail hats.
''Oh, there!" said one, and before
the old man knew what had happened
there a faint Whit OF perfume
in the air, and pretty girl with dainty hand
kerchief protecting her gloves. had lifted the
n al of
girl was putting in the basket. But some of
piggys Unborn obstlnacy seemed to remain in
his Drained and dressed pate, for stay where they
put it it would not. The old man stood as mo-
tionless as caryatld and the girls, with flush
ing faces and occasional laughter, tiptoed. and
| worked, and struggled with that refractory
| head which, however they fixed it, would slide
right off again The passing people began to
stop, and in ten seconds big crowd was watch.
/ ing the operation, when, after the manner of his
actions in life, piggys pate suddenly became do
cile and lay perfectly quiet in the exact place
where they had tried half dozen times to make
il stay. AS the old man moved off with his bur-
den resting quietly on his shoulder a cheer from
a bOotblack was echoed in an approving rnurmur
from the crowd as it went on its way again, cast
ing admiring glances at the two girls who stepped
off briskly with cheeks as red as JacqueminOts.
~
St Valentine was snubbed this week very
carefully by swell people. 1t would have been
hard to find in all Fifth avenue maiden who
could recall the sentimental saint by names ana
as for knowing what valentine was. she was
really quite ignorant She believed that some
thing of the kind had been received by the cook,
aud she presumed it a custom among do
mestcs to exchange compliments IN that way.
The season of gayesy is almost over. The
dancing was concluded by several gatherings
this week, and dinners will fill out the few days
before Lent Not very consistently, athletic
sports are not deemed wicked in the period of
sackcloth and ashes, and this time badminton
will be revived. That is a game much like
lawn tennis, except that it is played on the floors
of halls hired for the temporary purpose. The
beaux and bellies wear picturesque costumes, cal
/ culated to display the bony shins Of the former
aud the plastic grace of the latter when they
have any. Awkward girle, who ara aware OF
| their defect, do not indulge in badminton Mrs.
| Willie Astor is the leader in one club which has
| fitted up hall for the game. A history of the
amusement will be preserved in pictures. A
photographer has been engaged to use his.
camera one afternoon week. Electrical lights
| will serve instead of sunshine, and the nstanta-
neous process will enable him to catch the scene
as it goes These special games for Illustration
will be Systematically arranged, but nobody will
| over know how much rehearsing the participants
will do before their boudoir mirrors. A series
| of ten plates will be made of each game, thus
| giving the PLAYERS full opportunity TO pose
picturesquely, if they can
| It is settled that steeplechasing will have
| another fashionable summer. The Rockaway
Hunt Clubbas had its preparatory annual meet
ing-so have the halfdozen other associations Of
swell equestrians-but this conference was i'm
portant because the propriety of girls riding in
the public contests privately discussed.
Hitherto the daughters Of wealth and style have
participated little in the informal dashes across
country, but they have not ridden in the ap-
| pointed races, though their brothers have done
/ so. AS these contest are on courses to which ad-
mission is sold, and where the voice Of the book
| maker is raised, it was argued that modest girls
/ ought not to be jockeys. On the other hand,
| they have appeared in saddles at the horse shows
! in town without social derogatiou The issue
| was referred to committee with the under
standing that the advice Of Mrs. William Astor,
Mrs. Edgerton Winthrop and Mrs. August Boil
| mont, all authorities beyond appeal in polite
usage, will be followed. Should they dicide af-
firmativey. we shall have the novel spectacle Of
amateur jockeys of a most attractive kind.
discuss all the phases of physical sport. 1t is
English. Fair spectators at the exhibitions
given by the athletic societies discuss the points
| OF the performers with free acuteness. Not only
do they thus voice their judgment Of men, but
the same sort Of criticism is heard at the thea
ters and the opera. Maiden cheeks remain cool,
while their mouths speak to male listeners of the
plenty or lack of comeliness in ballet dancers of
the proportional confguartion of hazily clad act
resses and of the probabilities as to reality or
fasity in personal outlines behind the footlights.
1t may be news to some, too, that the most cir
cumspect now calls leg eP. just rs she would
mention an arm as An arm; and that she plainly
specifies the different portions of the leg when
ever the conversation requires il. Such has be-
come good usage.
Hearing that pug nose had been surgically
improved by DR.. Hammond, and that the pa